Choose between a one-hour narrated Bay Cruise Adventure that tours you under the majestic Golden Gate Bridge, around Alcatraz Island, and past Angel Island, offering sensational skyline views, or a ride on RocketBoat, the fastest and most thrilling ride on the Bay.

The sea otters are back! These playful icons of California’s shoreline and the Aquarium’s most popular residents are still exploring their newly renovated two-story exhibit.

Journey to the world of undersea magicians, masters of disguise and quick-change artists in our newest exhibit Tentacles: The Astounding Lives of Octopuses, Squid and Cuttlefishes. You won’t believe your eyes.

See The Jellies Experience, a far-out world where jellies dance, glow, bloom and sting. You’ll be amazed by the grace, beauty and stunning variety of these remarkable drifters.

Discover a towering underwater forest — at 28 feet, the Kelp Forest is one of the tallest aquarium exhibits in the world. You’ll get a diver’s-eye view of sardines, leopard sharks, wolf-eels and a host of other fishes as they weave through swaying fronds of kelp.

Watch as diverse ocean creatures such as hammerhead sharks, sea turtles, tunas, huge schools of sardines, ocean sunfish and other open-water dwellers swim past the 90-foot long window of the Aquarium’s largest exhibit, the million-gallon Open Sea.

CityPASS Entry

Present validated CityPASS booklet to the driver on any Municipal Railway passenger vehicle. Exchange voucher for a CityPASS booklet at any included attraction prior to using MUNI. Your voucher is not redeemable or accepted for use aboard MUNI vehicles or at Cable Car Kiosks. Please plan ahead; if arriving after normal attraction hours with a voucher, you'll have to wait until morning to exchange it for a CityPASS booklet to use to board the cable cars.

Special Exhibits Included with CityPASS

EarthquakeOpen through January 31, 2017
Don’t miss Earthquake, a major new exhibit and planetarium show exploring the seismic science that has shaped Earth’s evolution and continues to impact our lives today.

Upgrades for CityPASS Holders

Premium Tour: Available to CityPASS holders on day of visit for an additional upgrade cost (subject to availability).

NightLife: Every Thursday night, music, creatures and cocktails come together for NightLife at the California Academy of Sciences. Each week features a live band or DJ, and a unique theme – from salsa dancing to sustainable seafood and beyond. For ages 21+. Cost: $12.

Tactile Dome: Call (415) 528-4362 for reservations or purchase a ticket upon arrival at the Buy Ticket line. Cost for CityPASS holders: $15.The Dome is not recommended for persons with neck, back, or knee injuries; claustrophobia; fear of the dark; or women in their last trimester of pregnancy. Youth must be at least 7 years old to participate. The Dome is an active experience so dress accordingly.

de Young Museum

Keith Haring: The Political Line: Keith Haring: The Political Line will have its US premiere at the de Young and is the first major Haring show on the West Coast in nearly two decades. Many of the works are on loan from the Keith Haring Foundation, New York, with supplemental loans from public and private collections. Several pieces have not been published or on public view since the artist’s death in 1990.

On view from November 8, 2014-February 16, 2015. Cost for CityPASS holders: $16 Tues-Fri and $19 Sat-Mon and holidays. For more details, click here.

Legion of Honor

Houghton Hall: Portrait of an English Country House: Discover the history and elegance of Houghton Hall, one of England’s grandest country houses, built in the 1720s by Sir Robert Walpole (1676–1745), Britain’s first prime minister. Constructed in the Palladian style by architects James Gibbs and Colen Campbell and decorated by the influential designer William Kent, it has survived through the centuries in a remarkably well-preserved state. On view October 18, 2014-January 18, 2015. Cost for CityPASS holders: adults, weekday $5/weekend $8.

Vouchers must be exchanged for a booklet prior to riding the cable cars. Please plan ahead; if arriving after normal attraction hours with a voucher, you'll have to wait until morning to exchange it for a CityPASS booklet.

Upon arrival, stop first at the Planetarium entrance kiosk to secure a show time.

The Academy is free to everyone on selected Sundays throughout the year: June 2, 2013; September 29, 2013; and December 8, 2013. Admission is on a first-come, first-served basis, and early arrival is recommended due to the likelihood of high demand.

The free Academy Insider iPhone App is a great way to enhance and plan for your visit; details and download.

Less-visited times are in the fall and winter months other than during holidays. At other times of the year, you'll find fewer visitors between 2pm and 6pm. During the peak summer months, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday are the best days to visit.

Wireless internet is available at the Aquarium free of charge. For more information, visit the information desk.

The Otter Spotter Station is subject to weather and other factors; check with a staff member when you arrive to learn out about the different opportunities available on the day of your visit.

Get the most out of your visit with the Aquarium's free iPhone app. Learn about the animals and exhibits, see the schedule of programs and feeding shows, and share professional photos of animals and exhibits with your family and friends; see details.

Friday Nights at the de Young, an evening series in its 9th season, offers live music, hands-on art, tours, artist demonstrations, and food and cocktails for purchase; Fridays starting March 29, 2013, 5pm-8:45pm. See details.

Get 10% off a purchase of $50 or more onsite at either the de Young or Legion of Honor Museum Stores; see coupon in booklet for details.

Accessibility: All areas are accessible by the lift or elevators throughout the facility. Wheelchairs are available free of charge on a first-come, first-served basis at the information desk inside the main entrance. See more.

Gift Shop: There are four different gift and bookstores within the aquarium.

Photography: Photography for personal use only is permitted. Look for signs restricting flash photography as it can harm some animals.

Strollers: Strollers are permitted throughout the Aquarium, except in the aviary and on the mezzanine of the sea otter exhibit.

Legion of Honor

Group Requirements

Unscheduled group visits may create a delay in entry. For your convenience, here is list of attractions with specific group requirements. We strongly recommend that you contact them prior to your visit based on the group sizes indicated below. Please feel welcome to also contact attractions not listed here to ensure a smooth entry.

Map

Transportation

San Francisco Public Transportation — Municipal Railway (MUNI)

The Muni passport entitles bearer to ride ALL Municipal Railway transportation within the city limits for 7 consecutive days from the date validated on the CityPASS booklet cover. The CityPASS Muni passport is valid on all Muni vehicles including Cable Cars. CityPASS holders may use the Candlestick BallPark Express for $8 surcharge.

A single one way ride on a Cable Car costs $6 (Muni bus: $2). The 1-day Muni passport costs $14 (3-day: $21 and 7-day: $27). Does not include BART.
How to get to each CityPASS attraction using Muni is listed on each attraction page on our website and also on the back of each CityPASS attraction ticket.

Click here for up-to-the-minute alerts and notices about Muni services.

Blog

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